DIY: Painted Floral Table Cloth

Earlier this week I promised to show how I made my table cloth from the “garden party” brunch. Get this…it’s a canvas drop cloth! After seeing Jordan’s tablecloth on Oh Happy Day, my crafting juices were pumping, and I wanted to make one. I kept trying to decide if this was one of those DIY’s that would end with me in tears or fist pumping into the air with paint brush in hand. Well friends, it turned out to be a tear-free crafternoon!

Painted Floral Table Cloth
Step 1: Iron a 6 x9 drop cloth using your iron’s high setting. (I tried the dryer first, hoping I could save myself some time…It did basically nothing to the wrinkles.)
Step 2: Use painter’s tape to tape off center stripes. I used a pencil to mark a 10 inch space in the middle. I marked spots about a foot apart down the length of the drop cloth and laid tape to line up with the markings.
Step 3: Use sponge brushes to dab on paint. I applied thin coats to try and avoid bleeding. Allow to dry about 30 minutes before continuing.
Step 4: Mix other colors on a palette. I used a small tester of white interior wall paint to lighten my craft paints and make them go a little farther. Plus, it made the paint a bit thicker which I think helped it stand out more on the cloth.
Step 5: Practice swirls on paper to get a feel for your flowers. Don’t worry about each one being perfect-you’re going for an overall effect.
TIP: Vary the sizes of the flowers. Make one color your largest and pick a couple more to be medium and small flowers.
Step 6: After I painted the flowers on the drop cloth, I laid it out on the table to paint on the leaves. I ended up adding little mint polka dots to fill in more of the white space.
Not too shabby, huh? Le drop cloth, might be my new favorite DIY item. Next I’m thinking about pillows, place mats, and table runners, but there are probably 100 other good uses. I’d love to hear if you have an idea for my next drop cloth DIY.